Edward O'Donnell

performer

b. Brooklyn, NY probably Sep. 5, 1877
d. Brooklyn, NY April 20, 1928

O'Donnell Brothers circa 1905. Cornelius, right, is made up to look like an old man. From the O'Donnell Brothers collection, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Photo of original taken by Ian Darson.

Edward (left) and Cornelius (right) O'Donnell circa 1910. From the O'Donnell Brothers collection, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Photo of original taken by Ian Darson.

Edward and his brother Cornelius (circa 1874-1941), based in Brooklyn, New York, were active as vaudevillians and entertainers at least from 1903 to 1920. They performed as "The O'Donnell Brothers." Ed played pipes and Con played fiddle and danced; both acted in skits or "playlets."

They came from a musical family. Their father John O'Donnell (1838-1905) was a violinist, born near Kincaslough, The Rosses, Donegal, Ireland. He emigrated to New York about 1860 and settled in Brooklyn. John married Ellen Reynolds, born in the United States, around 1863. Edward had four surviving brothers, all were musical. For years family members lived at or near 702 Henry Street, in what is now the Red Hook neighborhood, not far from the docks of the East River. John O'Donnell ran the Volunteer House, a "resort" or saloon at the Henry Street address. It catered to members of the old Volunteer Fire Department.

Edward claimed to have "received an award" at the Chicago World's Fair, 1893. If so, this is by far the earliest mention of Edward as a piper. I have found no evidence to support the assertion. The earliest reference found is to "O'Donnell Bros., Irish pipers, dancers and fiddlers," playing at Luna Park, Coney Island, New York, June-August 1903. Among their surviving papers is a list of potential places to play, most in upstate and western New York. The list probably dates from before 1903, based on years the venues, sometimes listed with managers names, were active.

From 1903 until about 1913 the brothers apparently made a living as musicians, principally in vaudeville. Their act was a skit, about 20 minutes long, with dialogue, singing, dancing, and pipe and fiddle playing. It probably changed over the years; they advertised different titles, "Dear Old Ireland," "The Old Neighborhood," etc. One reviewer said the skit was a version of one performed in earlier years by a more successful vaudeville act, Callahan and Mack, and this is not unlikely. Here is a description of one version of their act from a performance in Springfield, Massachusetts, January 1912:

Cornelius represents an aged Irishman playing a violin. While he is playing a typical Irish air, Edward steals in and joins his brother in playing the same tune on the pipes. The motions that Cornelius makes as he hears the pipes is alone worth the price of admission. Cornelius then entertains the audience with a dance, although he begs his brother to stop playing as he is too old to continue the dance. He finally collapses on the stage. After being picked up, they bid each other good night, and Cornelius renders that old favorite, "Home Sweet Home," in a very impressive manner.

Favorable reviews like this were not common. Their act was neither an outstanding success or an obvious failure. They played mostly "small time" theaters when not in New York City.

Most of their engagements were in New York or nearby states. They went as far north as Ottawa, west as Detroit, south as Norfolk, Virginia. The brothers also played at banquets and social events, almost always as after-dinner entertainers. There are but three or four references to them playing for social dances.

Little is known about the quality of Edward's piping and what music he played. There is some evidence among the O'Donnell papers that he played "The Wearing of the Green" in the Brothers' act. Also among the papers, a hand-written page of sheet music from piper John H. Marron with "My Former Wife" and "The Blackbird." O'Donnell used an elaborate and impressive-looking set of pipes made by the Taylor brothers in his performances.

The brothers were probably busiest from 1907 through 1913, with about 20 verifiable engagements per year. There are comparatively few gigs after 1913. This may have been due to financial pressures or family obligations, or from a realization that their vaudeville career had peaked. Vaudeville was always competitive. As the years went by there were fewer venues and more demanding working conditions for performers, with smaller paychecks. Whatever the reasons, the O'Donnell Brothers seemed to have become inactive after 1914.

Edward married Mary about 1903 and they had at least five children. He and brother Cornelius were listed as musicians in the 1915 New York Census, but by 1918 Edward was working for the Fruit Dispatch Co., on the East River docks. In September 1918, age 41, Edward filled out a military draft registration card. He is described as of Medium height, Medium build, Blue eyes, Dark Brown hair.

After several years of apparent inactivity the Brothers tried a vaudeville comeback in 1920. It was not a success. Their act was considered quaint, old fashioned, out of date.

By 1925, according to the New York Census, Edward had a job as bank clerk. His wife Mary died probably in 1926. He died April 20, 1928, about 50 years old. Death was due to "Angina Pectoris," coronary heart disese. At the time of his death he was working as a clerk in the office of the Brooklyn Borough President. Cornelius was employed for many years as clerk for the Borough of Brooklyn, at least some of that time in the office of the Borough President, where his brother had worked earlier. Cornelius died in 1941. Both were buried at St. John's Cemetery, Middle Village, Queens, New York.

Descendants kept a remarkable amount of material about the O'Donnell Brothers. Photographs, newspaper clippings, programs, a scrapbook. For few pipers - or vaudeville acts - has so much survived. Most O'Donnell Brothers material was donated to the Theatre Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, New York City. Music manuscripts also survive, most for violin and probably from their father John or from their grandfather, also John. They were given to the Irish Traditional Music Archive, Dublin.

Selected References

"116th Street" [the old act used by Callahan and Mack] Variety Oct. 18, 1912 p. 22 columns 3 & 4
Variety 1912 - 2376.pdf

'Death Takes "The Fiddler." "John, the Fiddler, is dead." [Volunteer House] NY World July 10, 1901 p. 7 column 3
New York NY Evening World 1901-07-10 Page 7.pdf

"DEATHS O'Donnell - Cornelius" [announcement] Brooklyn [NY] Eagle July 18, 1941 p. 9 column 3
Brooklyn NY Daily Eagle 1941 Grayscale - 5496.pdf

"Deaths O'Donnell ... Edward C. O'Donnell" [announcement] Brooklyn [NY] Daily Eagle April 22, 1928 p. 18A column 2
Brooklyn NY Daily Eagle 1928 Grayscale - 3450.pdf

Hothersall, Loretta [O'Donnell family history] private communications 2014-17.

"NEW ACTS AND REAPPEARANCES O'Donnell Brothers" [by S. K.] New York Clipper April 7, 1920 p. 28 column 4
New York NY Clipper 1920-1921 - 0323.pdf

"O'Donnell Bros. Please." [the review quoted above and the claim of playing at World's Fair, 1893] Springfield Daily News Jan. 12, 1912 p. 17 column 1
GenealogyBank.com

Snyder, Robert W. The Voice of the City: Vaudeville and Popular Culture in New York [vaudeville generally] Oxford University Press 1989

"Vaudeville and Minstrel" [O'Donnell Bros. at Luna Park] New York Clipper July 11, 1903 p. 455 column 4
New York NY Clipper 1903-1904 - 0388.pdf

Whitmer, Nick "O'Donnell Archive" Website
http://www.whitmerpipes.com/o'donnell_archive.html

Whitmer, Nick "Seanchas The O'Donnell Brothers" An Píobaire vol. 10 no. 1 Feb. 2014 pp. 22-24
https://pipers.ie/source/media/?galleryId=1019&mediaId=26060

Nick Whitmer
Sep. 2018